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BWH social workers capped off National Social Work Recognition Month with a surprise for their director, Martha Byron Burke, MSW, LICSW: a new award for social workers named in her honor.
“You created this award for a person who demonstrates leadership and passion for their profession, a leader who continues to advance the art and science of social work,” Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services Mairead Hickey, PhD, RN, said to social workers at a celebration last week. “It’s not surprising then that the name of the award honors its first recipient, Martha Burke.”
Burke has served as Social Work administrator since 1996, and as director of Social Work and Clinical Services, she oversees more than 40 social workers in inpatient and outpatient settings across the hospital and is responsible for graduate social work internship programs. Burke joined BWH in 1978 as a primary care and hematology clinical social worker, and she has served in a number of social work positions, including assistant director of Social Work, chief social worker, program manager and director of Graduate Student Training.
“Martha is an advocate for compassionate patient care, teamwork and professionalism,” Terry Sirois, LICSW, said. “Every day, she demonstrates the value Social Work adds to the hospital’s ongoing effort to raise the standard of patient care.”
Burke thanked her colleagues for the award. “It is an honor and privilege to work with such a dedicated group of social workers and to be part of this special institution,” she said. “I will cherish this award, especially because it comes from my social work colleagues.”